Confused by Time (Percy Jackson fanfic) (currently being rewritten)

Chapter 2 - Entering The Pit

The result of the Capture the Flag game was expected - Artemis' Hunters won by a landslide. Annabeth was in her cabin telling the head counselor that she was going to go away for a while. The immortal campers weren't allowed to be head of the cabin, but were instead the advice for the counselor and campers. Annabeth was tempted to get out the chest under her bunk even though she knew that she was going to need sleep for the journey through Tartarus.

Annabeth sighed and gave in, taking out the chest again for the second time that day. Annabeth thought for a moment before picking up Percy's camp necklace and tying it around her neck – she would give it to him when she found him. Annabeth ran her hand over the picture of him, wondering whether he looked the same or any different. If he was still alive then he must be immortal somehow.

She was nervous of what state she would find Percy in. He had been in Tartarus for three whole centuries. Annabeth was terrified of what could have happened. Percy's only allies in the Pit were Damasen and Bob, but they had given their lives to help the two of them get out. Then Percy had to go and be the hero again and shoved her into the elevator whilst he held off the monster army.

Alena sighed. "Annabeth, you should get some sleep. You not getting any sleep isn't going to help when you're in Tartarus, is it?"

Annabeth glanced back at the picture before nodding. "Thanks, Alena."

Alena shrugged, "Don't worry, Annabeth, Percy will be fine. From what I've heard, not even Tartarus would be able to stop him." Annabeth nodded and climbed up to her bunk by the window as Alena called for lights out.

Annabeth was up and ready as the sun rose. She quickly threw everything she would need into a rucksack and sprinted to the Big House where she found Thalia, Jason and Piper waiting for her. "You guys ready?" Annabeth asked as soon as she entered the room.

Thalia grinned, "Lady Artemis gave me some new arrows to use on the monsters down there, along with an order to kill as many of them as possible."

"What do the arrows do?" Annabeth asked.

"Don't know," Thalia shrugged, "never used them before."

Annabeth," a voice behind her said and Annabeth quickly turned to see Chiron holding her laptop out to her, "Hades added everything of importance to the map that he knew about. You shouldn't get lost down there with all this."

Annabeth quickly thanked Chiron and opened up the laptop to study the map. She frowned, "What is this gap? One place is completely blank."

"Hades didn't know, he recommended you don't go there. Whatever is there is probably highly dangerous."

Annabeth nodded and carefully put the silver laptop into her bag. Behind her, the shadows converged and Nico stepped out of them. The son of Hades nodded to his quest mates before leaning against the wall to wait for the others to arrive.

"Annabeth, what's Tartarus like?" Piper asked curiously.

Annabeth swallowed nervously. "Dark, the ground is purple, and the temperature changes rapidly. Like San Francisco, actually."

Jason frowned slightly, "So won't we need coats or something?"

Annabeth shook her head, "That'll just slow us down. We need to be quick to outrun anything that'll be chasing us."

Nico nodded in agreement, "Tartarus is the Monsters' home ground. We will be invading them, not the other way around. We have less of a reason to be there than they do."

Thank you for the encouraging words, Mr. Optimism," Leo snorted as he dragged a bag into the Big House.

Nico shrugged, "I'm not deluding myself into thinking this will be easy."